Sindh’s residents to finally receive safe blood transfusions

Assembly passes bill, also condemns PTI’s demand for early elections

KARACHI: The Sindh Safe Blood Transfusion Bill 2017 was passed by the provincial assembly on Monday to regulate the collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution and transfusion of human blood in order to prevent the transmission of diseases.

Moving the bill, Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro said that the term ‘safe blood’ refers to blood that has been tested, using established testing methods, negative for HIV, Hepatitis B and C or other viruses. Under this law, the government will establish an authority to adopt a uniform policy covering all aspects of safe blood transfusion in Sindh. The health minister will be chairperson of the authority while the department’s secretary, a professor of haematology or pathology nominated by the government, a representative of the regional blood centre outsourced under public-private partnership by the department and two members of the assembly will be members of the authority.

The authority will register and issue licences to blood banks and take measures to ensure that each blood bank establishes and maintains a high-quality system. The government will appoint a secretary of the authority who will be of Grade 20 with a post-graduate degree in pathology and blood banking.



The authority will have the power to suspend or revoke the licence of a person if any conditions of the licence have been infringed. "The members of the authority will inspect hospitals and blood banks/centres [to check whether] the rules or regulations as well as standards are complied with," reads the law.

It added that every hospital or blood bank will have qualified staff employed. With the passing of this law, it has become mandatory for physicians and medical practitioners registered with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to ensure that any blood used in medical processes is certified as safe and supplied by a registered blood bank.

"If any blood establishment has contravened the provision of this law then the authority can order cessation of operation of the blood bank/centre and cancelation of its licence,” reads the law.

Dr Mandhro called the law, which was praised by other MPAs, an important legislation which aims to save lives. "There is no other option or alternative to blood.  It is a lifeline," he said. "Blood is transfused to thousands of people every day and by ensuring the process is safe, many lives can be saved." According to him, many blood banks transfuse blood without matching blood groups, which puts people’s lives at risk.



PTI resolution

The assembly also rejected calls for early elections in the country. Adopting a resolution moved by Parliamentary Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the assembly condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership's demand to dissolve the democratically elected assemblies before their due time.

"This state of mind is tantamount to disregard of the rights of citizens of Pakistan who elect their representatives for five years in accordance with the Constitution," the resolution read, adding that when the government is effectively undertaking development works, controlling law and order situation and engaged in important foreign investment projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), such a demand is surprising. The resolution was passed three days after the PTI demanded early elections in the country.
"This demand manifests a particular mindset," said Khuhro, adding "After 70 years, we have seen proper democratic dispensation in the country and these people are not happy with it and want to roll back the democratic system with nefarious designs."

Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah criticised PTI Chairperson Imran Khan and said, "His party has broken records of corruption in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where the education and health systems have not given relief to the people".



The PTI and Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) opposed the resolution. During the debate, PTI MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman called it ‘do number [second rate]’ democracy in Pakistan and said "This system has failed to deliver that's why we demanded early polls". He said the people of Sindh have given the mandate to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) but it has done nothing more than loot the province’s resources.

Zaman said the citizens of the province are forced to drink contaminated water and disabled people are protesting for their rights.  "What kind of democracy are you talking about?" he questioned.

Sardar Ahmed of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, however, took the PPP’s side and said the assemblies must complete their five-year terms. "It will be an unconstitutional step if assemblies are dissolved," he said

PML-F’s Sheharyar Mahar opposed the resolution and said the PTI leaders had demanded early election in a public meeting, so it is inappropriate to debate the issue inside the assembly. "Please don't use this floor for your own vested interests," he told lawmakers.

Sorath Thebo of PML-Nawaz said fragile democracy is a hundred times best than dictatorship, so the incumbent Parliament and assemblies must complete their tenure.